Seek a Response to Your Writing

Once you have written a passable draft, one you feel is on the right track but not finished, ask a classmate or friend to read and respond to it. Specify the kind of feedback that would be most helpful. Does the argument hold up throughout the whole paper? Do I use too many examples? Which ones should I cut? Does my conclusion make sense? Sometimes, when I am quite pleased with my draft, I simply ask a friend to proofread it for me, not wanting at that point to be told about holes in my argument or redundancy in my text.